More Articles

SANFORD, Fla. -- Defense attorneys have rested their case in George
Zimmerman's second-degree murder trial after calling 18 witnesses over less than a week.

Prosecutors now plan to call two rebuttal witnesses. Both sides will then
work on jury instructions before presenting closing arguments. The case is then sent to jurors.

Zimmerman never testified about the fatal struggle with Trayvon Martin. But
jurors saw repeated video recordings of Zimmerman telling his story to investigators. The defense
started its case last Friday, and it presented about half the witnesses and took half the time as
the prosecution.

In the days before the defense finished today, it called Zimmerman's friends,
mother and uncle to testify that it is Zimmerman screaming for help on a 911 call that captured the
fatal fight between Martin and Zimmerman.

Zimmerman is pleading not guilty to second-degree murder. He claims he shot
Martin in self-defense.